Vasco Nuñez de Balboa (Part 6)

Balboa - His Execution

In 1518, Governor Pedrarias had enough accomplices aligned up, to set
his plan in progress. In order to arrest Balboa, he had to separate him
from his men. At the time, about 300 of them were at the Pearl Islands,
preparing for the voyage of exploration, searching for Biru, and the
great wealth the natives of Castilla del Oro, had told him about. The
were planning to use the three caravel that they had transported across
the Isthmus, in pieces, and then reassembled. Having tried to discredit
Balboa in all different way, he had been unsuccessful and was determined
to kill him, to get rid of him.

Pedrarias sent Balboa a fatherly letter, begging him to return to
Acla, so that they could have a meeting. The letter was full of praise
and kindness and gave no indication of what Pedrarias had planned.
Pedrarias had Balboa's friends in Antigua and Acla arrested, in order
that they could not testify on behalf of Balboa, and the sham trial that
he was setting up. He also ordered Pizarro to gather all the men he
could, and arrest Balboa, when he was alone, with out his followers.

Balboa was on the small island of Tortugas finishing the
preparations, when the messenger with the letter from Pedrarias reached
him. Not suspecting any treachery, he left Francisco Compañon in charge
of his command, and set out to Acla. On the way there, the messenger,
suspecting that something was going on, warned Balboa of the recent
events that had taken place at Acla, and that his life was in danger.
Balboa would not believe that his future father-in-law would betray him,
and continued his journey. Once they crossed the cordillera, and started
their descent, they met Pizarro and the force sent to arrest him. When
Balboa saw Pizarro, at the head of the force, exclaimed. "¿Qué
es esto, Francisco Pizarro? ¡Como es posible que vos venis de esta
manera para recibir me!" Balboa offered no resistance, and was
chained and transported on to Acla, and confined in the house of
Catañeda.

The trial was a farce and over quickly. The Alcalde Mayor (judge)
was the Licenciado, Gaspar de Espinosa. The main prosecutor
against Balboa were, or one, Pedrarias' treasurer, Puente, with the
assistance of Diego Marquez and the lawyer Corral. The governor was
present to make sure that the trail proceeded according to his script
and Balboa would not have anyone to defend him. Balboa was charged with
treason, not obeying the laws of Spain and attempting to rob the crown
of its just dues. The old charges about what he did to Nicuesa and
Encisco, were also brought up.

Balboa denied the charges of treason and plead innocence of all
the charges brought against him. But it was evident to all that the
governor was determined to get rid of Balboa, the he would be found
guilty, at all cost. As Balboa shouted his innocence, the governor and
his cohorts, shouted "guilty!", over and over again.
The judge found Balboa guilty on all charges and the penalty was death.
But he suggested to the governor that his life be spared, considering
all the good and service he had done for the Crown and Castilla de Oro.
This the governor denied and demanded that he be put to death.

Balboa claimed the right of all Spanish Officers of the Crown, (he
had been granted the title of Adelantado and Governor of the South Sea's
and the lands it bathed) the right to appeal to the Council of the
Indies, which the governor also denied. Balboa that requested this case
be reviewed by the Jeronimite Fathers of the church of Santo Domingo,
that were overseeing the affairs of the Church while the Bishop of
Castilla del Oro, Quevedo, was in Spain. Pedrarias also denied that.
Espinosa, not wanting to have the blood of Balboa on his hand, pleaded
with the governor, to grant the appeal, but Pedrarias again said No,
"pues se peco, muera por ello", and ordered that Balboa
be put to death by beheading immediately, with out further delay.
Pedrarias was fearful
that Vasco Nuñez's friends, or the
bishop's appeal to the Crown, for their friend might result in favor of Balboa and
against the governor and his cronies. The execution had to take place before a Royal pardon could be
obtained

The next day, in January day in 1519, during the evening all of
the condemned men were marched out in heavy chains. Leading the parade
was the town crier, proclaiming loudly that "This is the justice
which our lord, the King, and Pedrarias, his lieutenant, in his name,
command to be done upon this man as a traitor and illegal seizures' of
the lands subject to the royal crown.". They were marched to a
scaffold that had been erected in the plaza of Acla.

Balboa, raised his eyes to Heaven, and said: "It is a lie
and falsehood which is charged against me! Never did I entertain such a
thought. It was always my intention to serve the Kin as a faithful and
loyal vassal, and my desire to enlarge his domains with all my power and
strength". The condemned men were allowed to confess and
receive the sacraments. Balboa then walked up to the block, and calmly
placed his head on the block, and was beheaded. He was followed by his
friends, Andrés de Balderrábano, Luis Botello, Hernan Muñoz and
Fernando de Argüello. When it came to Argüello's turn to be executed,
it was already night, and the people thought that it was a sign from
God, that there should be no more executions. They pleaded with the
governor, to Argüello be spared. Pedrarias responded with "It
cannot be, I would sooner die myself than spare one of them".

Pedrarias had watched the proceedings from a hut, located about 10
paces from the scaffold. As a further insult to his greatest rival in
Castilla del Oro, he ordered that Balboa's head be stuck on a pole in
the center of the plaza, to be seen by all, where it remained for
several days.

Of the three men that were beheaded with Balboa, two of them,
Balderrábano, and Muñoz had been with him, when he discovered the
South Sea. Also arrested with them, was Andrés Garabito, but he turned
states witness against his commander and joined the forces of Pedrarias.
He was set free, after he testified against Balboa.

Thus ended the life of Vasco Nuñez de Balboa at 44 years of age.
Considered by many historians as the greatest Conquistador that had very
lived. If he would have believed that Pedrarias was really out to get
him, and instead left with his men to look for Biru, (Peru), history would have
been totally different for the Incas. Balboa was a great commander, that
had great respect for the native inhabitants of Tierra Firme. He was
firm, but believed in diplomacy and treating the Indians with respect.
In Castilla del Oro, he knew that he must first conquer the natives, but
then treat them with respect, and make friends with them. He knew that
the Spaniards depended on the natives, to survive in the country. Only
with friendship, was he able to do this. His men, all respected him and
considered him to be fair. Francisco Pizarro had already proved in
Panama, under Pedrarias, that he was without mercy with the natives, and
this was reaffirmed with the Inca's of Peru. As with the natives in
Castilla del Oro, he indiscriminately persecuted them, and slaughtered
thousands, in his pursuit of gold and riches. Most historians
believe that had Vasco Nuñez had been the discoverer of the Inca
Civilization, there would not have been the mass destruction of that
civilization, and things would have been much better for the
natives.